Manufacturers of country liquor go into hiding
22,415 cases filed since July 2024
Hyderabad: The excise department has filed 22,415 cases against manufacturers of 'natusara’ (country liquor, gudumba) since July last year.
"We have imposed a complete state-wide ban on manufacturing, selling and transportation of natusara," director of excise and enforcement V.B. Kamalasan Reddy told Deccan Chronicle.
In the raids since July 2024, a total of `1.53 crore in fines have been imposed. As much as 5.82-lakh kg of black jaggery, the main ingredient in gudumba, related paraphernalia in manufacturing weighing 2,027 kgs and 2,368 vehicles have been seized.
While dozens have been detained in the raids, officials said the main culprits are a step ahead.
"Our teams have conducted raids and inspections in different districts. Ninety per cent of the manufacturers escaped after they came to know that our teams were conducting raids," Kamalasan Reddy added.
"During the raids that have been conducted for the past two days, we noticed that the natusara which was prepared in some tribal areas completely vanished," he said.
"Since the raids in July 2024, the manufacturing of the banned substance came down by more than 60 per cent in various districts of Telangana as we tactfully focused on restriction for transportation of black jaggery that is the main ingredient," he said.
On the instructions of TG excise head, state and city task force teams have been deployed on the ground and are coordinating with Tribal outposts, sources in the excise department disclosed.
During the recent past, the excise cops have restricted around 90 per cent of illegal movement of jaggery that was earlier bought from Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
The other teams of excise cops are restricting the transportation of other raw materials from entering villages, thandas and tribal areas.
........................
Addiction-free Telangana
1. The new Congress govt has made intentions clear to completely free Telangana of country liquor.
2. Since July 2024, excise police have registered 22,415 cases on manufacture of country liquor.
3. Over 5 lakh kgs of black jaggery, which is the main ingredient in gudumba, have been seized in the raids.
4. In these raids, a total of `1.53 crore in fines have been imposed.
Caption: Excise teams search farms in Tribal areas of Nagarkurnool.
